Sweden's capital, a 'city on water' spread across 14 islands: medieval Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace, the Vasa Museum with its intact 17th-century warship, ABBA The Museum, Skansen (the world's oldest open-air museum) and metro stations that double as art galleries. Summer brings up to 18 hours of daylight, Midsummer in late June and boat trips into the archipelago; winters are dark and cold, but December has Nobel week, Lucia and Christmas markets. Almost cashless and expensive. No direct flights from UB — connect via MIAT to Frankfurt, or via Istanbul or Beijing. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; Swedish visas are lodged at the VFS Global Sweden centre in Ulaanbaatar and decided by the Swedish Embassy in Beijing.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 14h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
#Gamla Stan#Vasa Museum#ABBA#archipelago#Midsummer#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace
CulturePalace SEK 220 (May–Sep SEK 240); ages 7–17 SEK 110/120; under 7 free. Old Town freePalace Oct–Dec daily 10:00–16:00, summer 10:00–17:00; partly closed on reception days
The 13th-century Old Town of narrow cobbled lanes: the colourful houses of Stortorget, the Nobel Prize Museum and Stockholm Cathedral. The Royal Palace has over 600 rooms; the ticket covers the Royal Apartments, the Treasury (crown regalia) and the Museum Three Crowns. The changing of the guard takes place in front of the palace every day — children love it.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goSweden has no embassy in Mongolia, but there is a VFS Global Sweden visa application centre in Ulaanbaatar — no trip to Beijing is needed. Files travel to Beijing for a decision, so start early.+
1
Schengen visa: VFS Global Sweden centre, UB
If Sweden is your main destination, book a VFS Global appointment online and go in person to the UB centre (2nd floor of the DHL headquarters) to give fingerprints. Fee €90, i.e. 377,000₮ (ages 6–11 €45, i.e. 189,000₮, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee of 96,000₮, payable in tögrög only. The Swedish Embassy in Beijing usually decides within 15 working days, plus transit time.
Tip: If the Swedish Embassy decides it needs one, it can call you for an interview in China — then you would need a Chinese visa. Apply as early as you can.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter. Filling in the application form electronically and bringing a printout speeds things up at the centre. You cannot apply more than 6 months before travel.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border (fully live since 10 April 2026); the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityArlanda lies north of the centre; the train is the fastest way in.+
1
Arlanda Express
The express train reaches Stockholm Central in 18 minutes. One way costs SEK 340 for an adult, SEK 460 for two adults, SEK 160 for ages 18–25; children up to 17 ride free with an adult. Buy in the app or from a machine.
Tip: For families, the group fares for 2–3 adults plus free children make the Arlanda Express cheaper than a taxi.
The cheaper option is the SL commuter train (pendeltåg) from Arlanda C to Stockholm City in just over 40 minutes: an SL ticket of SEK 43 plus the Arlanda station fee of SEK 157, about SEK 200 in all. The airport coach (Flygbussarna) reaches Cityterminalen in ~45 minutes. If you arrive via Frankfurt with MIAT, Schengen passport control happens there.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers Frankfurt or Helsinki.
Tip: Download Stockholm, Uppsala and the archipelago in Google Maps for offline use.
2
Swedish prepaid SIM
Telia, Tele2 (Comviq), Telenor and Tre (Hallon) prepaid SIMs are sold at Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven. In Sweden a prepaid SIM must be registered before it works — bring your passport to the shop. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it works in other European countries too.
🚇Getting aroundMetro (tunnelbana), trams, buses, trains and city boats all run on one SL ticket. The centre is also walkable.+
1
SL tickets
A single ticket is SEK 43 with free transfers within 75 minutes; tap a contactless bank card or phone (Apple/Google Pay) at the gates, or buy 24-hour and 72-hour tickets in the SL app. Tickets are not sold for cash. Each person needs their own card or ticket.
All SL tickets are valid on Waxholmsbolaget boats between Strömkajen and Vaxholm. For Djurgården (Vasa, ABBA, Skansen) take a ferry from Slussen or Nybroplan, or tram 7.
SJ, Mälartåg or SL trains run from Stockholm Central to Uppsala in ~40 minutes, many times a day. An SL ticket does not cover Uppsala County, so buy an extra ticket.
Sweden is one of the most cashless countries in the world: the metro, museums, cafés and even market stalls often take cards only. Visa, Mastercard and Apple/Google Pay work everywhere; Swish needs a Swedish bank account. You will rarely need any kronor in cash.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose kronor. Bring a card with low foreign-transaction fees.
2
High prices — ways to save
At lunchtime restaurants offer a cheaper 'dagens lunch' (dish of the day), usually with salad, bread and coffee included. Tap water is clean to drink. Most museums are free for children under 18.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodThe Swedish daily 'fika' — a break for coffee and pastries — is a ritual worth joining.+
1
What to eat
Köttbullar (meatballs with mash and lingonberry jam), kanelbulle (cinnamon bun), gravlax (cured salmon), räksmörgås (open shrimp sandwich), smörgåstårta (sandwich cake) and pickled herring (sill). In February, the cream-filled semla bun. Meatballs and buns are the safest bets for children.
Tip: Östermalms Saluhall food hall is the place to taste traditional Swedish food under one roof.
2
Shops and alcohol
Buy groceries at ICA, Coop, Hemköp or Lidl. Drinks stronger than 3.5% are sold only in the state-run Systembolaget shops, to people aged 20 and over; restaurants serve from 18. Systembolaget is closed on Sundays.
Police, ambulance and fire — 112, free, 24 hours, answered in English. For non-urgent police matters call 114 14; for health advice call 1177 (also answered in English).
Thieves work T-Centralen, Gamla Stan, Drottninggatan, the metro and the airport trains: keep your bag in front and your phone in your pocket. Don't walk alone in outlying districts at night. In winter pavements are icy and slippery, so wear shoes with good grip.
3
Medicines and pharmacies
Pharmacies carry a green 'Apotek' sign (Apoteket, Apotek Hjärtat, Kronans). Basic painkillers are also sold in supermarkets. Bring regular medicines with their prescription.
At pharmacies, banks and information desks, take a 'nummerlapp' queue ticket and wait to be called. Keep your voice down on public transport, and stand on the right on escalators, leaving the left for walkers.
2
In homes and in nature
Take your shoes off when entering a Swedish home. 'Allemansrätten', the right of public access, lets you roam freely in nature — but leave no litter, keep away from private gardens and light fires only where allowed.
Swedes are punctual — if you have booked a table, arrive on time. Service is included in prices; tipping is optional, and rounding up a little is fine if you were happy. Lunch is early, usually from 11:00.
📱Useful apps+
1
Transport
SL app — metro, buses, boats and 24/72-hour tickets. SJ app — intercity trains such as to Uppsala. Arlanda Express app — the airport train. Google Maps works very well in the city. Uber and Bolt for taxis.
Book ABBA The Museum, City Hall tours and the Royal Palace in advance on their official sites. Visit Stockholm covers events, Midsummer and Christmas markets. Google Translate's camera translates Swedish menus.
The Arlanda Express takes 18 minutes from Stockholm Central. Allow plenty of time for security, the EES exit check and the customs stamp for Tax Free. If you connect to MIAT in Frankfurt on a separate ticket, allow for delays — travelling a day early is safest.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Show Tax Free goods to customs before check-in.
Tip: To see the Northern Lights, go not to Stockholm but to Abisko in northern Sweden between autumn and spring — reach it by night train from Stockholm or fly to Kiruna.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Adults SEK 195 (May–Sep SEK 240); free up to 18
Sep–May daily 10:00–17:00 (Wed until 20:00); Jun–Aug 08:30–18:00
A 69 m warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised almost intact 333 years later. The world's best-preserved 17th-century ship and Scandinavia's most visited museum. Card payment only; go early in the morning in summer.
KidsAdults SEK 269–349; ages 7–15 SEK 129–169; 0–6 free; family SEK 639–839 (price varies by date)1 Sep–23 Dec daily 10:00–18:00; 1 Jun–16 Aug 09:00–20:00
An interactive museum of the world-famous band: sing and dance on stage as the 'fifth member', record in a studio and see the glittering stage costumes. Book a timed ticket online; no cash accepted. On Djurgården, next to the Gröna Lund amusement park.
KidsAdults about SEK 195–305 depending on season (cheaper online); free for ages 0–1528 Sep–10 Jan weekdays 10:00–15:00, weekends 10:00–16:00; summer 10:00–18:00
The world's oldest open-air museum (1891): about 150 houses brought from every corner of Sweden, craftspeople in period dress, a Nordic zoo with moose, bears, wolves and reindeer, and the children's Lill-Skansen. The most traditional place for Midsummer and the Christmas market; no cash accepted.
CultureSEK 195; ages 13–25 SEK 135; under 13 free with an adultDaily 10:00–23:00
A contemporary photography museum in a 1906 customs house on the waterfront, with changing exhibitions by world-famous photographers. The top-floor café and bar have one of Stockholm's best views over Gamla Stan, Skeppsholmen and the ships; open late.
CultureGuided tour SEK 150; ages 7–18 SEK 60; 0–6 freeEnglish tours daily about hourly 10:00–15:00 (~45 min); tower closed for renovation
The red-brick building of 1923 — see the Blue Hall, where the Nobel banquet is held every 10 December, and the Golden Hall with its 18 million gold mosaic pieces on a guided tour only (tickets released a week ahead). The 106 m tower is closed for renovation in 2027–2028; the waterfront garden is free.
CultureSEK 170; free up to 18Tue, Fri 10:00–20:00; Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00–18:00; closed Mondays
The modern art museum on Skeppsholmen island: works by Picasso, Dalí, Duchamp, Warhol and Rauschenberg, with Niki de Saint Phalle's colourful sculptures outside. Free for children, with family workshops at weekends. The island is calm to walk with a lovely waterfront.
NatureA standard SL ticket (SEK 43) is valid on Waxholmsbolaget boatsYear-round from Strömkajen, more sailings in summer
A small town of wooden houses that is the 'gateway' to the archipelago of some 30,000 islands. Ride Waxholmsbolaget's white boats between the islands from Strömkajen in front of the Grand Hôtel; Vaxholm has a 16th-century fortress, fish restaurants and a harbourfront. In summer you can go further to Sandhamn or Grinda.
CultureSEK 170; ages 7–17 SEK 85; under 7 free; gardens freeMay–Sep daily 10:00–17:00; 1 Oct–6 Dec Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00
The Swedish royal family's permanent residence (UNESCO): 17th-century Baroque rooms, French-style gardens, the 1766 Palace Theatre with its original working stage machinery, and the Chinese Pavilion. Reach it by boat from near City Hall in summer, or by metro and bus.
'The world's longest art gallery': over 90 metro stations decorated with paintings and sculpture. The blue cave of T-Centralen, the red-and-green 'excavation' of Kungsträdgården, the red sky of Solna Centrum and Stadion's rainbow. Touring them yourself on a 24-hour ticket feels like an adventure for children.
A 500 m footpath along the cliffs of Södermalm — Stockholm's most famous view over Riddarfjärden bay, Gamla Stan and City Hall, best at sunset. Walk on to Södermalm's vintage shops and cafés, Mariatorget or Fotografiska.
CultureCathedral free; train ticket extraCathedral daily; trains from Stockholm Central ~40 min
An old university city with Scandinavia's tallest church (118.7 m): the Linnaeus Garden, the anatomical theatre in the Gustavianum and Uppsala Castle. North of town, Old Uppsala has 6th-century royal burial mounds from before the Viking age. Just right for a day trip by train.
